In-line skate with latitudinal aligned skate wheels

ABSTRACT

A lenticular device with integral shuttering method for displaying an image, a series of which form an animated display when an observer is moving in parallel relative to the device is presented. The shuttering method includes means of displaying an image whereby this image is only viewable by the observer when the observer is positioned on the vertical plane perpendicular to the center of the device. Once the observer moves off this plane by a small fixed angle, the device image is invisible. This method can be employed for placing many devices on the walls of a subway tunnel which will result in an animated image visible to passengers of a subway car moving through the subway tunnel. These images can be illuminated by light from the windows of the subway car or can have their own illumination. The method can be employed on the walls of pedestrian walkways or sidewalks whereby the walking observer will see an animated image.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present image display mechanisms for billboards and signsanywhere the observer is moving relative to said billboard or sign.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] There are many methods for displaying images in the prior art.For example most billboards and signs are visible from the verticalplane perpendicular to the center point of the display and at all anglesbetween 0 degrees and 90 degrees to the left and right of this verticalplane.

[0003] Lenticular devices containing more than one image with each imagevisible at specific angle ranges relative to the vertical planeperpendicular to the center of the image are also part of the prior art.For example a lenticular device containing two images is made up of twoimages divided into many vertical strips and interleaved a strip fromone image followed by a strip from another image etc. Overlaid on theinterleaved strips are a series of vertical transparent ridges acrossthe whole of the device. These transparent ridges act as lenses offeringthe observer a view of all the strips relating to either image one orimage two. Thus as the user moves parallel to the image changing his/herangle relative to the vertical plane perpendicular to the center of thepicture, one image is replaced by another. This mechanism is often usedas advertising and has more recently been used for large displays.Lenticular images can be used to provide the perception of motion, forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,238, entitled “Publications” by R.Finkel there is disclosed an image page formed with lenticular materialthat utilizes three views of a rabbit. Each view is slightly differentfrom the other views such that rotation of the page generates a visualimpression that one or more features of the rabbit move. In U.S. Pat.No. 6,237,264 a lenticular device holding a combination of non movingand moving images is disclosed. Prior art relating to the perception ofmotion using lenticular devices have focused on placing many images on asingle lenticular device. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,264 there is adiscussion of extinguishing one image prior to displaying another imageso that the effect of ghosting between adjacent views is minimized. Alllenticular prior art dealing with the perception of motion does so on asingle lenticular device. If one were to place a sequence of suchdevices on a wall then a moving observer would naturally hold his/hereyes onto the first such device instance until the user passes throughthe full range of viewing angles of that device. The observer in factwould be constantly moving his/her head from side to side and would notperceive motion outside the bounds of one device instance.

[0004] There are many methods for shuttering as part of the display ofmoving pictures in the prior art. For example most movies are displayedusing a long strip of film containing successive images. The film stripmoves at a fixed speed past a shuttering and light source. As eachsuccessive picture frame is directly opposite the shutter; the shutteropens for a fraction of a second and the light source projects the imageonto the screen. Fine tuning of the film speed; shutter speed and lightsource results in an observers perception of continuous motion on themovie screen. The prior art includes a plurality of mechanisms fordisplaying images on subway tunnel walls that result in the subway carrider perceiving moving pictures. A general mechanism of the prior artincludes successive frames mounted on the subway tunnel wall. Lightingis provided either by light sources attached to the frames or by thelight sources attached to the moving subway car. For riders of thesubway car to see moving pictures through the subway car window as thesubway car moves past the fixed frames; there must be a shutteringsystem. The prior art includes a plurality of mechanisms for shutteringincluding mechanical systems; optical systems and stroboscopic systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a lenticulardevice with integral shuttering mechanism for displaying an image, aseries of which form an animated display when moving relative to anobserver. It is a more particular object of this invention to provide alenticular device that holds a representation of a single image. It is amore particular object of this invention to provide an integralshuttering mechanism that allows the image to be visible to an observerat substantially one and only one angle range relative to the verticalplane perpendicular to the center of the center of the display.According to one aspect of the present invention the angle that theimage is visible is on the plane that is vertical at 90 degrees from thecenter of the display. According to one aspect of the present inventiononce the observer moves 5 degrees off the plane that is vertical at 90degrees from the center of the image then the image is not visible. Anobserver moving past a series of these lenticular devices at a certainspeed will observe each successive image being visible for a shortperiod of time. From the observer's perspective each successive image isoverlaid on exactly the position in space where the previous image was.Thus if a series of images are recordings of successive frames of amovie recording of continuous motion, and the observer is moving at sucha speed to observer 16 frames per second, then the observer willperceive continuous motion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] These and other aspects of the present invention will become moreevident upon reading the following description of the preferredembodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007]FIG. 1 is a prior art view of a lenticular device containing twoimages.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a prior art view of an enlarged cross-sectional view ofa portion of the lenticular device of FIG. 1, illustrating primary andsecondary viewing angle ranges of two images.

[0009]FIG. 3 illustrates a two dimensional top view of the presentinvention.

[0010]FIG. 4 illustrates a two dimensional top view of the presentinvention where lenticular lenses are positioned so that the axis planethat passes through each lenticular lens focal line intersect at a linein front of the lenticular device at the ideal viewing position.

[0011]FIG. 5 is a two dimensional view of the present inventioninstalled on the walls of a subway tunnel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012]FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art view of the lenticular display of 2images. In FIG. 1, the lenticular display 100 is made up of a series ofvertical transparent ridges 102, 104, 106 etc. which act as convexlenses. The two images in this example are arranged in interleavedstrips with strip 108 part of image A; strip 110 part of image B; strip112 part of image A and strip 114 part of image B etc. When the observeris located at position 116, transparent ridges 102 and 104 focus lightreaching the observer to come from strips relating to image A; 108 and112. When the observer is located at position 118, transparent ridges102 and 104 focus light reaching the observer to come from stripsrelating to image B; 110 and 114. Thus both images are visible to theobserver dependent on the position of the observer relative to thevertical plane perpendicular to the center point of the image.

[0013]FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portionof the lenticular device of FIG. 1, illustrating primary and secondaryviewing angle ranges of two images. This effect is illustrated in FIG.2. Consider a single lenticule 200 with a central view on an image plane202 at position 204. This central view will be on axis. Behind lenticule200 within the range designated as 206 two views reside corresponding todifferent positions. Other views can be found to lie behind lenticule208 and position 210 is the first such view behind lenticule 208.However, in the viewing angle shown by line 212 position 210 may be seenthrough lenticule 200 rather than the lenticule 208 which is directly infront of it. The limit of angle which can be viewed and still see viewsdirectly behind a designated lenticule is defined as the primary viewingangle shown as 214. There is, however, a secondary viewing angle,designated as 216, corresponding to views all of which lie behindlenticule 208.

[0014]FIG. 3 illustrates a two dimensional top view of one embodiment ofthe present invention. In FIG. 3, the display 300 contain slices of oneimage only. In FIG. 3 mirror images of slices of the image are arrangedon the image plane 302 as vertical panes 304, 306, 308 etc. Between theimage panes and the observer at position 310 there exists a series ofvertical lenticular lenses 312, 314, 316 etc. For each image slice thereis a related vertical convex lens. Between each image slice and therelated convex lens there exists a series of shutters. For examplebetween image pane 304 and lens 312 there exists shutters 318 and 320.These shutters block all light between the image panes and the relatedconvex lens except for a vertical slit opening 322, 324, 326 etc. Theposition of this slit is on the focal line of the related lenticularconvex lens. For example slit 322 between shutter 318 and 320 is at thefocal line of lenticular convex lens 312. In one embodiment of thepresent invention the image panes are at a distance of two times thefocal length of the related lenticular convex lens from that lens. InFIG. 3 there is also a series of vertical shutters 328, 330 etc. whichblock secondary viewing angles and any stray light.

[0015]FIG. 4 illustrates a two dimensional top view of the presentinvention where lenticular lenses are positioned so that the axis planethat passes through each lenticular lens focal line intersect at a linein front of the lenticular device at the ideal viewing position. In FIG.4, the display 400 contain slices of one image only. In FIG. 4 mirrorimages of slices of the image are arranged on the vertical panes 404,406, 408 etc. Between the image panes and the observer at position 410there exists a series of vertical lenticular lenses 412, 414, 416 etc.For each image slice there is a related vertical convex lens. Betweeneach image slice and the related convex lens there exists a series ofshutters. For example between image pane 404 and lens 412 there existsshutters 418 and 420. These shutters block all light between the imagepanes and the related convex lens except for a vertical slit opening422, 424, 426 etc. The position of this slit is on the focal line of therelated lenticular convex lens. For example slit 422 between shutter 418and 420 is at the focal line of lenticular convex lens 412. In FIG. 4there is also a series of vertical shutters 428, 430 etc. which blocksecondary viewing angles and any stray light. When the observer atposition 432 on the vertical plane perpendicular to the center ofdisplay 400 and on the horizontal plane perpendicular to the center ofdisplay 400, the image from display 400 is visible. This is possiblebecause light from each image pane passes through the slit in front ofeach pane and then is focused by the convex lens in front of each slitto reach the observer at position 432. For example light from image pane404 passes through slit 422 between shutters 418 and 420 and is thenfocused by lenticular convex lens 412 to reach the observer at position432. When the observer is at position 430 the image contained in display400 is not visible. At position 430 the observer sees an impression ofthe various shutters 418, 420 etc. distorted through lenses 412, 414etc. In this embodiment all shutters are matte black. When the observeris at position 434 the image contained in display 400 is not visible. Atposition 434 the observer sees an impression of the various shutters418, 420 etc. distorted through lenses 412, 414 etc.

[0016]FIG. 4 exaggerates the thickness of display 400 relative to thedistance to the observer at 432 to explain the detail of the invention.In reality for a display of one foot square and a viewing distance offive feet the display should be less than two inches thick. Thisinvention could be developed with custom lenticular displays mounded toinclude the canting of each lenticular lens so that the axis plane thatpasses through each lenticular lens focal line intersect at a line infront of the lenticular device at the ideal viewing position. Sincecurrently available lenticule displays from small to large format aremade of plastic material it is possible that currently availablelenticular sheets could be forced to maintain a curved shape so that theaxis plane that passes through each lenticular lens focal line intersectat a line in front of the lenticular device at the ideal viewingposition. Bearing in mind that other modifications would have to be madeto include the details of this invention to currently availablelenticular displays. Images may be printed through the actual device ormay be manipulated using computers to generate the mirror image slicesof an image.

[0017]FIG. 5 is a two dimensional view of the present inventioninstalled on the walls of a subway tunnel. In FIG. 5, a subway car 500moving from top to bottom. A series of individual display elements 502,504, 506 etc. are mounted on the subway tunnel wall 508 and arespecifically tuned to place the ideal viewing position at the seat atthe opposite side of the subway car. In FIG. 5 the individual seated atposition 510 best represents some of many such ideal viewing positions.For an individual seated at position 510, display 502 is visible throughwindow 512. As subway car 500 move through the tunnel, the observer atposition 510 sees images from displays 502, 504 ,506 etc. being visiblefor a very short period of time. Each successive image is observed inthe same position in space relative to the observer at position 510.When the subway car 500 moves at such a speed that the observer atposition 510 sees 16 frames per second and each successive displayelement contains successive frames from a moving picture then theobserver at position 510 will perceive moving pictures.

What we claim is:
 1. A lenticular device comprising: a lenticularelement having a plurality of lenticular lenses; and an image holdingelement holding slices relating to a single image frame; and an opaquemember with a series of lenticular slits between the image assemblyelement and the lenticular lenses wherein: said lenticular slits arepositioned at the focal plane of each lenticular lens.
 2. The lenticulardevice of claim 1 wherein: said lenticular lenses are positioned so thatthe axis plane that passes through each lenticular lens focal lineintersect at a line in front of the lenticular device.
 3. The lenticulardevice of claim 2 including: a series of opaque members that prohibitsecondary viewing angles through each lenticular lens.
 4. The lenticulardevice as in claim 3 wherein: said device is held in their position by aframing structure.
 5. The lenticular device as in claim 4 wherein: aseries of said lenticular devices are mounted in sequence.
 6. Thelenticular device as in claim 5 wherein: said series of lenticulardevices are mounted on the tunnel walls of a subway system.
 7. Thelenticular device as in claim 5 wherein: said series of lenticulardevices are mounted adjacent to a pedestrian walkway.
 8. The lenticulardevice as in claim 5 wherein: said series of lenticular devices aremounted adjacent to train tracks.
 9. The lenticular device as in claim 5wherein: said series of lenticular devices are mounted adjacent to anautomobile roadway.
 10. The lenticular device as in claim 3 wherein:said lenticular lenses are a fresnel implementation of lenticularlenses.
 11. The lenticular device as in claim 3 wherein: said lenticulardevice is illuminated by its own light source.